Materials for imprint lithography

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a material for use in imprint lithography that features a composition having a viscosity associated therewith and including a surfactant, a polymerizable component, and an initiator responsive to a stimuli to vary the viscosity in response thereto, with the composition, in a liquid state, having the viscosity being lower than about 100 centipoises, a vapor pressure of less than about 20 Torr, and in a solid cured state a tensile modulus of greater than about 100 MPa, a break stress of greater than about 3 MPa and an elongation at break of greater than about 2%.

1. An imprinting material for use in imprint lithography comprising:
 a composition having a viscosity associated therewith and including a surfactant, a polymerizable component, and an initiator responsive to a stimuli to vary said viscosity in response thereto, with said composition, in a liquid state, having said viscosity being lower than about 100 centipoises, a vapor pressure of less than about 20 Torr, and in a solid cured state a tensile modulus of greater than about 100 MPa, a break stress of greater than about 3 MPa and an elongation at break of greater than about 2%. 
 
     
     
       2. The imprinting material as recited in  claim 1  wherein said surfactant comprises a non-ionic surfactant. 
     
     
       3. The imprinting material as recited in  claim 1  wherein said surfactant comprises a fluorinated surfactant. 
     
     
       4. The imprinting material as recited in  claim 1  wherein said surfactant comprises a fluorinated non-ionic surfactant. 
     
     
       5. The imprinting material as recited in  claim 1  wherein said monomer is selected from the group consisting of epoxies, acrylates, methacrylates and vinyl ethers. 
     
     
       6. The imprinting material as recited in  claim 1  wherein said monomer is selected from a set of polymerizable component containing silicon therein. 
     
     
       7. The imprinting material as recited in  claim 1  wherein said monomer is a substituted acrylate. 
     
     
       8. The imprinting material as recited in  claim 1  wherein said monomer is a silicon-containing acrylate. 
     
     
       9. The imprinting material as recited in  claim 1  wherein said monomer is selected from the group of substituted acrylates consisting of mono-substituted acrylates and multifunctional-substituted acrylates. 
     
     
       10. The imprinting material as recited in  claim 1  wherein said initiator is selected from the group consisting of photo initiators and thermal initiators. 
     
     
       11. The imprinting material as recited in  claim 1  wherein said initiator is a radical photoinitiator. 
     
     
       12. The imprinting material as recited in  claim 1  wherein said viscosity in said liquid state is less than about 25 centipoises. 
     
     
       13. The imprinting material as recited in  claim 1  wherein said viscosity in said liquid state is less than about 10 centipoises. 
     
     
       14. The imprinting material as recited in  claim 1  wherein said viscosity in said liquid state is less than about 5 centipoises. 
     
     
       15. The imprinting material as recited in  claim 1  wherein said vapor pressure is lower than about 5 Torr. 
     
     
       16. The imprinting material as recited in  claim 1  wherein said vapor pressure is lower than about 2 Torr. 
     
     
       17. The imprinting material as recited in  claim 1  wherein said tensile modulus is 100 MPa or greater. 
     
     
       18. The imprinting material as recited in  claim 1  wherein said break stress of about 3 MPa or greater. 
     
     
       19. The imprinting material as recited in  claim 1  wherein said elongation at break is 8% or more.